How to use your phone to find hidden cameras

When you feel wary, a quick check might provide some peace of mind.

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For those of us who travel often, staying in a new location carries an unsettling risk: Airbnbs, hotels and other lodgings may have hidden cameras to spy on visitors. Short-term and privately owned rentals are of particular concern. While the full scale of the issue is unknown, a 2024 report from CNN found that Airbnb processed 35,000 support tickets related to "surveillance devices" in the preceding decade. While doorbell and outdoor security cameras have become increasingly common and are permitted under Airbnb rules, any indoor recording devices are banned from properties hosted on the platform.

The problem remains relatively uncommon. Airbnb said at the time of the CNN report that less than 0.1 percent of its properties were hit with safety complaints, including those related to security cameras. However, 51 percent of visitors said they don't trust short-term rentals, and such fears are not unfounded. Cameras are increasingly difficult to spot, often disguised as common home items like smoke detectors, chargers or picture frames. So it can sometimes be worth a check to ensure there are no surveillance devices in your lodging to ease your mind. But how do you find hidden cameras?

Can a cell phone detect a hidden camera?

Your cell phone is a great tool to check for hidden cameras. Start with a simple flashlight sweep: close the curtains, turn off the lights, and then sweep the unit with a flashlight to check for any glimmering signs of electronics — the shine of a lens, or an LED light. Common places to hide cameras include smoke detectors, air purifiers, televisions, shower heads, or lights. Be particularly careful to check sensitive locations like near the bed or the shower. Mirrors are also important to check. If you shine a flashlight at a mirror, it should bounce back rather than passing through like a window. You can also put a finger directly onto a mirror. A real mirror will have a space between your finger and its reflection, while a two-way mirror will make it appear as though they are directly touching.

You can also use your phone camera to check for night-vision cameras in the room. These cameras emit infrared light, which on your camera app should appear as purple or white dots. To verify your phone can detect infrared light, point it at a TV remote control, push the buttons, and see if light coming from the remote can be detected. It is more likely your front-facing, or selfie camera, has this ability, but try using both to take a look. Once confirmed, you can scan the room with your phone to find IR emissions.

Is there an app on your phone that can detect hidden cameras?

Many hidden cameras stream over Wi-Fi, and some mobile apps allow you to scan the network for unfamiliar devices. Options include Fing, Net Analyzer and WiFiman. Download a scanner app, connect to the Wi-Fi and search for names that you don't recognize — which will often include "cam" or "camera" to denote a recording device. Other names may map to common camera brands, like Wyze, Blink or TP-Link. Apps like Fing will show MAC addresses and device types, allowing you to further investigate names that show up in a scan. This is not always a straightforward method, however. Some devices like printers, televisions or other benign connected appliances are also likely to show up in such scans. 

What's more, other devices may run their own networks, so check your phone's list of available Wi-Fi networks for similar, camera-related titles. Other cameras may use Bluetooth to connect, so a Bluetooth scan may also be helpful. To do this, you don't necessarily need a scanner app. You can just open your Bluetooth connections on the device and see what shows up. 

These methods are not foolproof. Many cameras record to local memory cards, which means they won't show up on any kind of scan. Still, pairing this method with the flashlight sweep and the infrared light check is the most thorough way to check for surveillance.

What to do if you find a hidden camera?

If you think you have found a surveillance device in your lodging, be sure to double check using both the physical sweep method and digital scan. Once you have confirmed, do not touch the device: photograph it, reach out to the police and notify customer support for the platform you are using. Airbnb has clear policies against indoor cameras, even those that are not connected, and has in several reported cases removed hosts from the platform permanently and fully refunded guests who report such devices. 

Vrbo also bans recording devices outright, and suggests guests who discover one report the incident immediately to the platform. Vrbo's policy states affected guests may be eligible for a refund. The CNN report regarding hidden cameras at Airbnb found there is no strict policy guiding employees to contact law enforcement in such incidents, so it's best to contact police yourself if you feel unsafe. Ultimately, a scan with your phone's flashlight, an infrared check with a camera and a sweep with a dedicated app can give you increased peace of mind when staying in an unfamiliar location.